This place...

"Fucking sucks!"

Channeling his inner Katsumi (God, it's weird not calling her Kacchan), Izuku yelled at the top of his lung, ignoring the tears and snots as kept running away from this... loop that he has been caught in. Still that same place. Three same rocks lined up behind the same gigantic tree with a rope dangling despite there being no winds, and a skeleton on the ground pointing at the rope.

Izuku kept on running, with Cthul on his shoulder, Ten-chan and Takkun speeding in front of him. It doesn't matter how fast, how slow, how far or consistently they ran, the moment Izuku stopped, that scenery will always appear in front of his eyes. This cycle continued until Izuku eventually couldn't take another step and tumbled down to the ground. The Tengu and Tanuki turned around and checked up on him, making sure he was alright.

Laying with his back on the ground, Izuku gasped for air with his eyes squinted shut, trying to ignore the pain he felt in his chest. After regaining enough energy, Izuku muttered out a summoning spell for a Fairy. A small green dot appeared and frantically flew around Izuku as sparkly sprinkles fell onto him. The greenette could feel his strength coming back as the sprinkles disappeared when they touched his skin. The Fairy continued her work until Izuku got enough strength to sit up. He whispered thanks to her, which gained him a peck on the cheek from her before she disappeared.

Looking around, this time, Izuku finally accepted that he is currently trapped in this scenery. Sensing the fear in him, the Tanuki cuddled into his chest while the Tengu kept watch on the gigantic tree as if to assure him that they'll watch over him. Cthul, though, he just stayed on Izuku's shoulder, his neutral expression kept on while he only looked over to the empty woods behind Izuku.

His friends haven't lost hope yet... And he shouldn't either! Feeling determination rose and pushed the fear inside him aside, Izuku patted Tecchan's head, set him down and approached the skeleton warily. He didn't notice it before due to the fear he felt, but Izuku now noticed the skeleton... wasn't of an adult.

Cthul reads a lot of books, a hobby which Izuku also picked up from the creature anytime Izuku's not out looking for mythical creatures. The things that Cthul read... weren't exactly family-friendly, but it was helpful. Helpful enough for Izuku to be able to perform a quick autopsy.

The skeleton laying on the ground has visibly more bones, not to mention the obvious size differences compared to an adult skeleton, something Izuku couldn't unseen when he was out finding a Gashadokuro (or at least confirm its existence, anyway). The total height of the skeleton was only a little higher than him. What stood out the most was its snapped neck that was barely hanging on and the same pointing finger in the direction Cthul was looking at. Izuku hesitantly looked over his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief as he found nothing there. Before he moved away from the skeleton, he noticed the other hand, the one that wasn't pointing, curled up into a fist like it was holding onto something important. Something so important that even in death, the person refused to let go despite Izuku's struggle to pry their hand open.

'Only In Death Shall You See the Truth'

A young, feminine voice whispered into Izuku's right ear. He jumped away and looked over to the direction where he heard the voice, only to find the same empty woods. Swallowing his saliva, Izuku's called out with clear tinge of fear in his voice.

"I- Is someone there?"

"Boo." The voice appeared again, this time from behind. Izuku let out a loud yelp and turned around, only to find a blonde girl snickering at his reaction.

"If only you could see your face!"

After calming down, Izuku once again took in the appearance of the girl in front of him. The blondie's hair was tight in a ponytail that reached below her shoulder with a slight curling style. The white dress she was wearing matched her pale, white skin nicely along with the cheerful smile she had on her face. Her bright yellow iris shone in the dark so clearly, so beautifully that Izuku got captured in them. He only realized he was staring when the girl snapped her finger in front of his face. Realizing that he was doing something inappropriate, Izuku sputtered in embarrassment. "Imsosorryididntmeantostarepleasedontgetmad-"

"Calm down, greenie! I'm not mad." She smiled. Strangely, her smile quickly calmed Izuku's down from his panic. Too quick. It was like an enchanting spell, immediately captures its target.

"I didn't think there'd be someone else here." She spoke softly. "What are you doing here, greenie? More importantly, how are you here?"

"M- My name is Midoriya Izuku, not greenie..." He muttered shyly.

"Cool, but I'll keep calling you Greenie." She showed a teasing grin. "For my name... you might call me, Ela!"

"Ela-san?" Izuku tilted his head at the strange name.

"Ela. Just Ela." She smiled brightly. "Now, about the other question?"

"O- Oh, right! I- I was helping my mom unpacking in our new houses, right? Then I heard someone ring our doorbell, so I came down and checked. I opened the door and found a tall man, he was like, really tall, maybe even taller than All Might! No one's taller than All Might! Well, expect people with Mutant or Size Quirks, but that is also really rare! Speaking of Quirks, what's yours anyway? Oh, right, the tall man I talked about kneeled down, touched my eyes and suddenly, I was here! Where is here, anyway? You're here, too! Does that mean you also met the tall man? Do you know who he is? Why did he send me, or us, here?"

Izuku's over-excitement and eagerness bombarded Ela with his infamous muttering. At his previous school, his classmates and Katsumi didn't like it and always yelled at him whenever he did it, but after he got Cthul, anyone who complaint about Izuku's muttering always ended up screaming in agony for some reason so Izuku figured it was fine if he does it now. Mom did send a glare at Cthul when she heard about it though, but Izuku didn't think it was his friend's fault.

Strangely enough, Ela didn't even blink at his muttering. It got even stranger when the girl just nodded like she understood everything he said. No one understood all of that before! Not even his mother!

"I think I have met your 'tall man' before." Ela nodded. "He didn't bring me here, but he is the reason why I'm here."

"W- What do you mean?" Izuku tilted his head.

"... You're cute, Greenie." She pinched his cheek. "The tall man you mentioned... did he have a black suit and a blank face?"

Izuku nodded in confirmation.

"He has many names: The Tall One, The Thin Man, White King or Master of The Forrest." Ela whispered to him. "But the most famous, or infamous, was Slenderman."

Maybe it is because he has heard, or seen this name from somewhere, it could be the compendium, it could be an article he glanced at while Cthul and his mother were reading the newspaper, or it could be something he head the pretty lady on the TV mentioned. But whatever it was, Izuku felt a chill running down his spine.

"S- S- S- Slenderman? W- W- Who is that?" Although the name was of a stranger, Izuku couldn't help his teeth from clattering together as he spoke.

"... You don't know Slenderman?" Ela's disbelief voice made him shake even more. "Damn, Greenie, which era are you from?"

"... The All Might Peace Era?" Izuku smiled awkwardly.

Ela looked at him confusingly before she showed a smile. "Well, whatever that is, you clearly aren't informed enough to end up here. This is the Dark Realm, but it's easier if we refer to it as The Forrest. This is Slenderman's domain. Here, he could control anything he sees fits. This is also where he brings his 'victims' moments before they are killed." Izuku couldn't help but feel the snide remark at the word 'victim', but he decided to ignore it and move on.

"T- T- Then the skeleton here is-" "She's dead, yes. Buuuuuut not exactly his victim." Ela cut in and answered his question before continuing. "The real question here is: What do you plan to do now?"

Unable to understand the meaning behind the question, Izuku asked. "I- I- I don't underst-"

"You, WE, are trapped here, I-zu-ku. So, unless that cute head of you can think of a way." She pointed at the skeleton. "That, will be our fate. Forever and ever, pointing at and staring into the unending darkness of the woods."

"W- What about you? Have you tried anything?"

"Honey, why would I be here if I could get out. This is like... being stuck inside your house while your friends are calling out to you from the outside!" She flicked Izuku's forehead slightly. "Besides, I have a feeling that this has to be you."

"M- Me? Why me?" Izuku caressed the spot on his forehead that was flicked. Back then, when someone, or more specifically, Katsumi, hurt him, it hurt. Badly. But when Ela flicked him, it felt... good. Funny. Affectionate.

"Dunno." She laughed. "I just have a good feeling about you."

"B- But I'm just a... Quirkless. A... Deku." Saying his nickname left a sour taste in his own mouth.

"... Listen, Greenie." Ela cupped Izuku's cheeks in her hands, an action that made the poor boy's face went bright red. "I can't even pretend to know what that means, but when someone has a good feeling about you, shouldn't you try to at least live up to it before disregarding yourself like that."

"I- Isn't that a little selfish? E- Expecting someone to do something? Would then that make them m- mad?" Izuku mumbled, feeling tears leaking out of his eyes.

"Yes. But!" Ela showed a bright smile. "I have a good feeling that I could believe in you."

Her words, although sounded selfish, made Izuku smile.

Even if Izuku hasn't realized it yet, he has always needed... validation. After the day he was diagnosed as Quirkless, nothing went well in his life. His father, left. Katsumi, hated him (she didn't say why, but Izuku always assumed it was because he was Quirkless). And even though Inko always told him that she loves him, he knew that she was... afraid.

He knew she was still afraid of him becoming a researcher. And he always brings nothing but trouble for her. They had to move because of him. He tore his mother away from her life. All because of him. He couldn't even apologize or thank her. And now he's afraid that he won't even have the chance to.

But for the first time, someone believed in him. This stranger, this girl who he had just met at this God forsaken place told him she trusted him with his life. She didn't even say why.

Yet, Izuku couldn't help but let the tears and snots came out.

Or the smile that he himself didn't even realize was on his face.

Bringing Izuku into a hug, Ela kept her smile as she patted his head.

A kind smile that hasn't left since the moment she laid her eyes on him.

.

.

.

.

After he had calmed down, Izuku, now with a bright red face, was doing a perfect 90-degrees angle bow.

"I'm- I'm so sorry I hugged and cried on you! I- I don't have any tissues with me but you can absolutely wipe the tears and snots onto my shirt!"

"Would you calm down, Greenie?" Ela spoke in an amusing tone. "You didn't hug me. I hugged you."

"But-"

"No 'Buts'! If you really want to apologize, get yourself out of here first!" Ela slapped his shoulder,

Nodded with determination, Izuku looked around.

Only in Death Shall you See the Truth.

Izuku's eyes stopped at the rope dangling on the gigantic tree.

Now he has a terrible idea.

Izuku walked over to the three rocks that lined up behind the tree, starting to pick them up.

He didn't even realize his friends weren't with him.

"Why do you follow the child, Eldritch Being?"

Cthulhu remained quiet at the question directed at him.

Not at 'smol' him. Not now. Not in this situation.

The Eldritch God towered over the woods, his reef-covered head covered the sky, leaving the only source of light being his shining eyes, glaring at the being standing in front of him. His giant tentacles slowly waving in the air, threatening the very realm that was holding them inside.

Beside Cthulhu was a humanoid being staying afloat with its giant, bright red wings flapping in the air. The bird-hybrid being wore a distorted human face mask with an oddly long nose and grey facial hair along with a murderous expression being shown. Sharp talon claws on its feet raised, ready to attack.

On the ground was an absurdly giant bear. Although its size couldn't be compared to the humongous being behind it, the killing pressure exerted by it was enough to make any army in the world shivered in fear. Its sharp claws directed at the being in front.

Opposing to the two mythical beasts and an Eldritch God was a humanoid being in a black suit. The last time they met, the last time Izuku met him, was just a judge of character. He approached the boy without inducing fear. This time...

It's different.

"What did you do to him?"

The question this time came from the deep-sea god. His tone, the usual uninterested attitude, was nowhere to be found. Slenderman can clearly sense the threats, anger and murderous intent in it.

"I'm not." Slenderman replied without a hint of change. The dark tentacles behind eerily wiggling like they have their own minds.

Cthulhu squinted his eyes, as did the two mythic beings who were with him. The intense killing pressure they exerted did not faze Slenderman at all as the tentacles behind him did not show any sudden movement. But in return, those tentacles expanded. They kept on expanding until they covered up the rest of the realm that wasn't occupied by Cthulhu.

The four being kept their sight on one another, none made a single move.

The loudest silence anything has ever heard.

All because of a boy lying unconscious.

Still the three same rocks lined up behind the same gigantic tree with a rope dangling despite there being no winds, and a skeleton on the ground pointing at the rope.

But something changed.

This time, the unconscious body of Izuku laid under the gigantic tree, his right-hand held on tight to the skeleton other hand.

After all, only in death shall you see the truth.

[COMPENDIUM]

SPECIES: FAIRY

SIZE: HUMAN WITH NORMAL EYESIGHT CAN'T SEE THEM. THEY ONLY REVEALED THEMSELVES WITH A DOT OF LIGHT USUALLY MISTAKEN WITH FIREFLIES.

DESCRIPTION: COMMONLY FOUND IN EUROPEAN FOLKLORES AND FAIRYTALES. CAUTION NOT TO MISTAKE THEM WITH PIXIE. THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPECIES. HAVE HUMAN APPEARANCES (ACCORDING TO THAT ONE RESEARCHER WHO CLAIMS HE COULD SEE THEM). HIGH CHANCES THEY HAVE WINGS ON THEIR BACK DUE TO THEIR FLYING ABILITY. THERE ARE RUMORS THAT MOST OF THEM ARE FEMALES. NOT CONFIRMED YET.

POWERS/ ABILITIES: HIGHLY INTELLIGENT BEING WITH MAGICAL POWERS. ALTHOUGH THAT IS LIMITED TO MINOR PRANKS, THEIR HEALING ABILITIES ARE AT THE TOP LEVEL.

HABITAT: ANY PEACEFUL, NATURY PLACE THAT THEY COULD MAKE A HOME OUT OF.

TIPS: THEY USUALLY KEEP TO THEMSELVES, EXCEPT FOR WHEN THEY ARE PLAYING HARMLESS PRANKS. EVEN IF THEY DECIDED TO SHOW THEMSELVES, THEY COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR FIREFLIES. IF YOU WANT TO CAPTURE THEM, LURE THEM IN WITH BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS, LIKE ROSES AND LILIES. THEIR BEHAVIOURS AFTER BEING CAPTURED COULD DETERMINED WHETHER THEY ARE FAIRIES OR FIREFLIES.

DANGEROUS LEVEL: NONE. BUT THEIR PRANKS ARE ANNOYING!

CAPTURE POSSIBILTY: 95%

.

.

.

.

[IZUKU'S JOURNAL]

SPECIES; FAIRY! AS IN 'FAIRY TALES' FAIRY!

SIZE: I MISTOOK HER FOR A FIREFLY AT FIRST SO... REALLY SMALL?

DESCRIPTION: KIND AND AFFECTIONATE. CHEERFUL TOO BUT SHE'S A LITTLE SCARY SOMETIMES. ONCE, I SAW HER CHASED A GOBLIN AWAY FROM STEALING MY SHOES. STILL ALSO REALLY MADE THAT I HAVEN'T GIVEN HER A NAME YET, BUT IT'S HARD WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW SHE LOOKS, OKAY! I PEELED A SMALL PIECE OFF MY PENCIL AND GAVE IT TO HER BUT SHE COULDN'T DRAW.

POWERS/ ABILITIES: CAN FLY REALLY FAST, BUT STILL SLOWER THAN TEN-CHAN BUT CONSIDERING THE SIZE DIFFERENCES, I THINK SHE'S ONE OF THE FASTEST. I ALWAYS RELY ON HER HEALING ABILITIES WHENEVER I'M INJURED, AND SHE ALWAYS TREATED ME BACK TO FULL HEALTH.

HABITAT: SHE APPROACHED AND HEALED ME WHEN I WAS INJURED FROM SEARCHING AROUND, CONFIRMING A RUMOR INSIDE A SMALL FORREST BEHIND THE PARK. HER LIKES AND DISLIKES REVOLVE AROUND PLANTS SO IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT SHE PREFERS NATURE. NOTE TO SELF: BUILD HER A TERRARIUM.

TIPS: DON'T PISS HER OFF TOO MUCH. AS MENTIONED ABOVE, SHE ONCE CHASED AWAY A GOBLIN THAT IS HUNDRED TIMES HER SIZE FOR STEALING MY SHOES.

DANGEROUS LEVEL: NONE, TO ME. GOBLIN, ON THE OTHER HAND...

CAPTURE POSSIBILITY: I DIDN'T ADOPT HER. SHE ADOPT ME. KINDA REMINDS ME OF CTHUL.

A/N: Ooh, suspension. I am cruel that way. Next chapter will be in... whenever I feel like writing again. I just dropped a long chapter on my other work and this one takes a lot of my IQ. Something I didn't even know I had.

Something to clarify though, Ela is an OC. She is... an idea, I think, will give Slenderman a softer background compared to the creepy pasta about him. Don't worry about me depriving from the originality though, he will still be terrifying AF. I just wanted to make him more human, if that makes sense.

And yes, despite all the shit I've read out there, I haven't seen one where Izuku might feel guilty for the change that happens in his life. Makes no mistake though, none of that is his fault. But a cinnamon roll like him would feel guilty for something that isn't even in his control. I'm cruel that way.

Maybe not so cruel though, considering I still give the poor boy the validation he deserves...

Meh, let's break hearts next chapter.

Next chapter tease (or spoiler, depends on who you ask):

"T-Takkun!? T- Ten-chan!? Even Cthul, too!"

Izuku yelled in surprise, looking at his friends blocking him away from Slenderman.

"... Did you see her?" Slenderman whispered. Izuku's grip tightened on the badge in his hand. Taking this as an answer, the man spoke. "... How is Ela?"

The question genuinely surprised Izuku this time. His glares soften.

"So, you really are him?" Izuku asked, for the first time since they've met.

Slenderman only stayed quiet as he took out a badge.

The same one that was given to Izuku by Ela.